Pineapple Coconut Bars With Chocolate Macadamia Nut Crust

Pineapple and coconut are two of the most abundant fruits here in Hawaii. As you may know, pineapples are cultivated on an agricultural scale here by Dole Plantation. The farms are right next to my house and as I drive to and from work I can smell the sweet scent in the air. It is lovely! The down side of these farms is that they are heavily sprayed with pesticides and it breaks my heart every time I see the giant machinery spraying the crops. There are some growers in the islands that grow pineapple organically, but the price is over $8 for a very small pineapple, which makes it a rare and special treat for me.

Coconut on the other hand is everywhere. Some fruit stands sell the meat for very cheap, about $3.00 for a full bag. The organic store near my house often sells whole coconuts for just $1.50 each! How lucky am I?! Coconut is my favorite everyday snack and there is plenty of it here 🙂 My husband and I often go to the local green waste drop off area by my house to look for coconuts that the tree trimmers just throw away by the dozens…..sometimes we are able to fill multiple containers with fresh coconut water and then we freeze the fresh meat.

How about the combination of coconut, pineapple, chocolate and macadamia nuts? If you haven’t tried the four together you are in for a real treat. In this recipe I tried to mix all of these delicious foods into one irresistible dessert.

This is a very easy to make recipe and the consistency is soft and moist. The chocolate crust is sweetened with a creamy date paste and loaded with macadamia nuts. The top layer is a simple mixture of fresh pineapple and coconut. Depending on how sweet your pineapple is, you can add some raw honey to the mixture. I felt that one tablespoon was sweet enough, but feel free to add more if you would like it to be sweeter. Enjoy!

I made these this morning but the top is quite dry and crumbly. The only variation I made was I used desiccated coconut instead of shredded. The flavour is amazing but you wouldn’t be able to hold them as a bar. Any suggestions?

P.S. Your paleo chocolate cake is amazing. It is now our special occasion must have. If my family had it their way I’d make it every 3 days

Hi Brooke, I would suggest adding less desiccated coconut so that the bars are still moist and hold together. Try adding 3/4 cup to 1 cup next time. So happy to hear your family likes my chocolate cake recipe!!! ☺

All-Time Reader Favorites

Let’s cook together!

This website is all about healthy eating, but it doesn't have to be boring. Join me on YouTube and let's cook delicious healthy meals & treats together. Subscribe and watch new episodes of my show each week.

All recipes and photos on this site are the original creation and sole property of Adriana Harlan, Living Healthy With Chocolate, LLC (unless otherwise noted) and may not be used, copied or transmitted without author consent. If you'd like to republish any of my recipes or photos, I would be truly honored. Please contact me.